Games Carnival 2014

by Amanda Lee Yue Ping, Junior 1 Cempaka, Class of 2014

Games Carnival has always been one of my most favorite First House Cup event. I love the spirit, the camaraderie, the way we huddle up before a match, anxious with nervous excitement. The whole week is fraught with rivalry between the houses, yet there are also shows of sportsmanship in between. Everyone has a part to play, be it on the field or off at the sidelines. It being moved up to this year gives all of us less time to really face the facts that - "oh wow, it's going to be the last time I'll play netball as a Seladang, waterpolo as a Harimau, handball as a Helang, football as a Beruang."

You'd think after exams we'd finally have the time to do the 101 things we've been saying and looking forward to doing. House lists, Games Carnival training, new banners, the list goes on and on. But what with RAG day, Cempaka Connect, the flood of corrections for test papers and prefect socials (ultimately lasting the whole weekend), our time had been eaten up; And before you know it, you're staring depressed at your computer screen as tweets about it being your last Games Carnival tomorrow keep flooding the timeline. I still remember how we used to say 'I can't wait till it's our year, we are so going to win!' - Oh how wrong we were. The first part I mean. 

It hasn't really sunk in yet that we're finally seniors. Not that we've been waiting for it. We've seen how a big part of a seniors role is to run around, looking and scolding any unruly juniors - heck we were those unruly juniors! But as the clock strikes twelve, and you're still frantically calling, typing, printing and making endless lists, the fact that our carefree days are over starts to sink in. It has come to a point where we can look in the mirror and no longer be fazed by the colour change - from fair to lobster red. Where we can look at the clock and go 'it's only one in the morning'?

We may have had less than a week to practice.

We may have had to deal with Cempaka Connect, Amazing Race, RAG Day, Socials, etcetera.

We may have had to beg, force and coerce juniors into joining a few sports (some we're not even sure they knew how to play!) since we were a whole level short. 

But we're here today. For better or for worse. This is it guys, we're finally the ones leading the cheers, scolding the juniors, losing our voices, running around trying to oversee everything, wishing we had voices like boom boxes and superman's ability to fly. This is the start of the long FHC battle, this is Games Carnival 2014. All the best, and may the best house (Seladang!) win.

Photo Credit: Matthias Lim

Do stay tuned the whole week for daily updates of the whole Games Carnival; From Day 1 to Day 5!